Attorney Relations

During my 10+ years as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, I have been fortunate to have worked with a few of the most prestigious elder abuse attorney litigators in the U.S. Being a member of the trial team is an experience that for me epitomizes the world of legal nurse consulting. It is the high point of my CLNC^® business and I consider it to be a privilege. While I could share many remarkable stories, two experiences stand out.

The first experience was the second time I had been a part of a trial team. As a CLNC^® consultant, I worked the file inside and out, read thousands of pages of medical records, hundreds of pages of deposition transcripts and worked with the testifying experts in preparation for their trial testimony. Finally, we were in trial. I sat in the first row of the audience and, as my attorney-client instructed, passed notes to the bailiff who in turn gave them to my attorney-client. I watched plaintiff counsel put on their case. Finally, the plaintiff’s RN testifying expert was on the stand. Direct examination completed and cross examination had begun. I began to fervently write potential questions on my note pad and passed them along. Then the judge called for a break.

My attorney-client motioned for me to approach the defense table. He said, “Suzanne, take me through this line of questioning.” Point by point; I lead him through what I thought was a convincing defense clinical argument. Our goal was to “poke holes” in the plaintiff expert’s opinion. My attorney-client was so impressed with my argument, he turned to me and said, “Suzanne, you should be an attorney!” I was flattered and gasped all at the same time! I never thought I could use my nursing expertise to help a legal team! I have no desire to become an attorney, but I am sure thankful and excited to be a successful Certified Legal Nurse Consultant!

My second outstanding experience was as a testifying expert. I was asked to render my opinion regarding the nursing standard of care in a nursing home elder abuse case. The case surrounded a fall, fracture, skin tears and bruises. Many hours went into trial preparation. My opinions were laced into my defense-client’s opening presentation.

Finally, it was my turn to testify. The adrenaline was racing through my veins. Boy, was I pumped! Direct examination went well. Now it was plaintiff’s turn. Cross-examination proceeded fairly well. Counsel repeated questions previously asked and tried to change them in an attempt to trip me up. It wasn’t working. I could see he was becoming frustrated. The volume of his voice began to rise. All the while, I sat relaxed (so I’m told) in the witness chair.

Then came the line of questioning surrounding a dog bite that was sustained during routine pet visits. The resident had pet the dog, as he had so many times before, but this time the dog nipped him. The “bite” healed uneventfully. Because the attorney couldn’t rattle my cage, he blurted out the question, “What kind of dog was it, anyway?” I paused, but before an objection could be given, I responded, “That’s irrelevant.” The jury laughed, my attorney-client at the defense table smiled, and the plaintiff’s attorney was left speechless!

When I got the call that the jury had found for the defense, I was thrilled. My attorney-client was also thrilled with the verdict, and was especially thrilled with my testimony and appreciative of my input as a member of his trial team.

Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

As I embarked on my new career as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, I received a case from an attorney and I wanted to do the best job ever. So I reviewed the records over and over until I knew those records like the back of my hand.

I met with my attorney-client to discuss my opinions on the case and as I was sitting in her office going over the events and the records that supported each opinion, I felt as though I was speaking in slow motion and so below her level of knowledge. All of a sudden she stood up behind her desk and yelled out, “What?” I stopped in my tracks and sat there with what I am sure was a blank stare. I didn’t know what I did wrong or what I had said to offend her. She continued, “What did you just say?” I repeated what I had said about what had happened to this patient in a moment of critical care. She again said, “What? Where did you find that information? Show me where it says that.” With trembling hands, I showed her and she ran out of the room. I sat there holding my breath. I was sure I had said something horribly wrong. Maybe I insulted her and didn’t realize it.

After some time, she returned to the room with two gentlemen. I thought to myself, okay, these must be the bouncers and I am being thrown out. The two men sat down next to me. I had the records in my lap and dropped them. I am sure I wasn’t even breathing. Was I blue yet?

The older male attorney started to explain to me that I had found the missing link. I had found the smoking gun. I had found… whatever other metaphors I can come up with. I had found information that was invaluable in the case. No one had found what I had found, not even the MD experts. Oh, and by the way, I could breathe again.

I had found the key to winning the case and we did ultimately succeed in winning. I felt so good.

I now consult with two other attorneys in that firm and also consult for two of their other offices. But on that day, I felt like I could conquer the world. This experience gave me the confidence I needed to keep going. And here I am ten years later still going strong.

Nikki J. Chuml, RNC, FMC, PRN, CLNC

To paraphrase Seth Godin, there’s only one thing you have to do to be “remarkable” and that’s actually, “to be remarkable.” He has also suggested that a critic, referred to as a troll, can interfere with your remarkability. My concept of a troll is just the opposite – a troll is a pretender selling nothing more than pretense.

I believe to be remarkable, you must deliver remarkable service. You can’t just be a salesperson, promising and promising what you won’t or cannot deliver. That turns you from genuinely remarkable into a remarkable troll.

I recently ran into just such a sales-troll. He personally came to Vickie Milazzo Institute, did a wonderful presentation, charmed our staff, promised the moon and, when it came time to deliver, sent work product that was unsatisfactory, full of errors and which didn’t reflect agreed upon delivery metrics. When he was challenged on the failure to deliver, his troll-like act was to crawl back under his bridge or wherever it is that trolls live.

I’m sure that you’ve run into this troll-type. The person who called you every day to make the sale, but after the sale is suddenly unavailable, out of the office, on a mission trip to Lower Handstandastan, lost his cell phone, has the swine flu or is at the funeral of yet another “close” relative (how many grandparents can you really lose?). Eventually, you get a call back, accompanied with more promises and then, later on, more broken promises and disappointment.

I encourage CLNC^® consultants to offer risk-free guarantees as a standard part of their legal nurse consulting business. After all, the first mission of any company is to serve its customers to their satisfaction. Sure, some customers will be harder to satisfy than others and certainly there are one or two who may never be satisfied. How you and your CLNC^® business handle those customers is what makes you “remarkable,” not your success in ignoring those customers. Sometimes they even push you to another, better level.

For me business is personal and the team at Vickie Milazzo Institute knows that I take the satisfaction of all of our prospects, CLNC^® students and Certified Legal Nurse Consultants personally.

Remember when you were a kid, everyone got a trophy for playing, even if their team came in last. Well we’re not kids anymore – we’re adults in an adult world where if we want to feel good, we have to do something to genuinely feel good about.

Service is what you do for the customers and sometimes in spite of the customers. “Can’t please everyone” isn’t an aphorism, it’s a cop-out. Sam Walton once said, “The customer isn’t always right, but he’s still the customer.” Here at Vickie Milazzo Institute we’re dedicated to providing customer service, delivering what we promise and standing behind our guarantee. Beware of sale-trolls in all their shapes and forms and whatever you do – don’t settle for less than you deserve. That only feeds the trolls and encourages more troll-like behavior.

As for the troll mentioned in this blog, we somehow managed to end our relationship professionally and amicably. I wished him future success, knowing full well he is destined for failure. How do I know?  Because now I am being serviced by someone who is genuinely remarkable. In today’s post bubble economy the world can no longer afford a pretender. I for one will be glad to be rid of the trolls.

Success Is Inside!

Like most women, I’m a sucker for a gift with purchase (GWP) at a makeup counter. I never met a GWP offer I could refuse, so I try to steer clear of the mall when I know they’re being offered. Tom’s been shopping with me so many times that if I forget to ask for my GWP, he’ll often pipe in before we close the transaction with “is there a gift with that?”

I have a great sales rep, Lisa, who I’ve known for a long time. Once, she tried to sell me a new product which I refused. To my surprise, when I got home that very product was in my bag! That’s right, the actual product, not the small sample of it. She’d even tucked in a note telling me she was sure I would love it. I had no choice but to experience it and now I’m a believer. That free gift turned out not to be free at all because I love this product so much I’ll probably be buying it for the rest of my life or its life.

This same marketing strategy works for your legal nurse consulting business too. You should be educating your attorney-clients about every one of the 32 CLNC^® services you offer. If they’re stuck on using the same 3-5 CLNC^® services, gift them, and I don’t just mean a small sample. Go ahead and do that whole set of requests for production, (not just 5 examples of what you are able to do). Remember not to bill them for it, but remember the small note that reminds them that this time it’s a gift. And this is a gift that should bring you a huge return. If you do it well, the attorney will be hooked and expecting it (for your regular fee of course) on the next case and every case thereafter.

I am certain that if Lisa had never given me the product, I would never have tried it. She is smart enough to know that sometimes even a sample is not good enough. I had to fully experience the product to fully appreciate it. One of those tiny two-use samples wouldn’t have converted me like having the full-blown experience.

If you believe strongly in what you have to offer, you’ll find a way to get a CLNC^® GWP into the hands of your attorney-clients. Create and deliver your CLNC^® GWP today. Warning – if your attorney-clients like it too much, you may not have time for your own shopping anymore.

Success Is Inside!

The other day Tom and I went to purchase a new mattress. We thought it was time for a change and that a rainy afternoon was a good time to start looking. We’d already done our homework so we knew what we wanted. The first store we went into, the sole salesperson reluctantly left his seat at the counter only after we struggled in from the rain, shook off and folded our umbrellas. It was still two hours before closing according to the sign on the door, so I wondered if he figured we weren’t serious shoppers, although who else would be out in a hard rain? He answered our questions, let us roam about the store unattended and didn’t really try to sell us anything.

We left and drove about three blocks to the next store. Even before we had the umbrellas wrapped up a young salesperson named Tiffany walked up and introduced herself. She asked what we were looking for and patiently heard us out. After helping us with the mattress set, she inquired about other products we might be interested in as well as any concerns we might have. She complimented us on our choice, told us why it was different from similar sets and spent a lot of time with us without exerting any pressure tactics.

She was so good that before we left the store, we’d not only laid on almost every mattress they had, we’d also tried out all their recliners and added one of those to our growing list. I had to draw the line when I heard her telling Tom that they made a matching cup and snack holder for the recliner. When we made our final purchase she checked the store’s inventory and told us that while the recliner could be delivered the next day it would be a week before she could arrange delivery of the mattress set. She offered to send over the floor model along with a complimentary set of sheets to let us sleep on it as a test until ours could be delivered. We walked out of the store the proud new owners of not only a mattress but also a new recliner, a reading lamp and some other accessories, a not inconsiderable sale for a rainy afternoon.

On our scheduled delivery date, Tiffany arrived at our house just after the delivery truck. She supervised the load-in and helped set up everything. After the delivery crew left Tiffany stayed to orient us to everything and to go over our invoice to show us what had been delivered and what was still outstanding. The next day she called to see how we’d slept and if we had any questions or needed any adjustments. She also updated us on the delivery date for our mattress.

I was struck not just by how good her service was, but by how far she went above what I would have considered normal or even great customer service. How often do you walk into a store and have to struggle to capture the attention of a salesperson or even pry them off their cell phone to work with you? Here was a woman who not only took charge of the sale from the minute we walked in the store, but did everything she could to make our experience a memorable one.

As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, do you do the same for your attorney-clients and prospects?

• Do you offer a seamless experience from the time you meet them, up to and after you deliver your work product?
• Do you offer additional CLNC^® services that will benefit the case?
• Do you assess whether you can provide something more (such as articles on the topic) to the attorney right away, and before you deliver your final work product?
• Have you followed up to see if the attorney-client has all the information that she needs and to answer any questions she has after reading your legal nurse consulting work product?

Next time you find yourself working with an attorney-client or -prospect, ask yourself whether or not you’re delivering “Tiffany-quality” service.

As registered nurses, we were trained to give and to take care of others. But to successfully manage your legal nurse consulting business you must also be a strong negotiator, willing to ask for what you want and what you need. As nurses, you’re not trained to negotiate, but luckily, you’re born negotiators even though you don’t necessarily think about it that way. You negotiate with patients about taking their meds. You negotiate with doctors to assure the appropriate medical orders are written for the patient. You negotiate with hospital administrators for safe staffing and delegation. You are always negotiating as a nurse and usually it’s for the benefit of someone other than yourself, although you also negotiate with the cafeteria to keep the food from killing you and you negotiate your way through shifts with issues that would make lesser mortals weep.

When you walk into an interview with an attorney, you’ll be using your negotiation skills on behalf of yourself and your legal nurse consulting business.

Attorneys are masters at negotiation, so these inside strategies I’ve learned through 28 years of business negotiation will give you the confidence and the know-how to negotiate with the best of the best.

1. Ask for everything you want at the beginning of the negotiation. Don’t add on as you go along. It makes you seem unfair and looks like you’re just pushing the envelope to get more. For example, if you tell an attorney your fee is $125/hr and his reply is “That’s very reasonable,” you can’t jump in and say, “I really want $150/hr.”
   
   Be prepared and think through what is really important to you and your legal nurse consulting business before you sit down to negotiate. Have your list of what points you need and what points you’re willing to give up. Some people do keep score and being able to track what you really need will help you determine your negotiating success.
2. Ask for more than you think you can get and don’t jump too fast to say “yes” to the first offer someone makes; even if you think it’s fair. Assess the situation and the person making the offer. Use and trust your strength of intuitive vision to diagnose how far you can go. This is not being greedy, this is being a strong negotiator. And you’d be surprised at what offer could be around the corner. It’s yours for the taking if you only ask for it.
   
   I recently mentored a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant on a toxic tort case involving 40 plaintiffs. The attorney firmly told her that instead of her hourly fee, he would pay her a flat rate for each of the 40 cases because he felt there would be a lot of “cut and paste” from one case to another.
   
   The CLNC^® consultant was convinced that she would lose this large project unless she agreed to the attorney’s terms. My advice was to stand firm on her hourly fee because she had no way of knowing before the reviews which cases would be simple, and which would be complex. Locking herself into a flat fee per case could cost her. Even though the plaintiffs all shared the same toxic exposure, they each were sure to have different medical histories (some more complex than others) which could influence causation. Not to mention the variation in the volume of medical records to sort through. The attorney would still benefit from any efficiencies she gained as she worked on the cases even with an hourly billing structure. Likewise, she would not risk losing money on the deal. The CLNC^® consultant stood firm on her fee structure, and as I predicted, the attorney agreed to her hourly rate.
   
   You must be willing to walk away from a deal, especially when that deal is not favorable to you. If you don’t like the deal with one attorney, remember there are over 1,180,000 more waiting for you to call.
3. Do not get emotional during negotiations. Appear detached even if you’re not. I negotiated a contract with a guy who was very emotional. Every time he took off on a point, I’d let him vent and then ask him what he didn’t like about that point. I calmly listened to his concerns and nicely pointed out how the contract supported both parties. As the negotiation went on and his rants slowly ran out, his blood pressure (and my anxiety level) came down. I conceded a number of little points because I knew he was keeping score and would have to win. I stuck to my guns on the important ones. Those points that I needed to win or at least couldn’t bend on, I blamed on my attorney, saying “I’d really like to do this but my attorney feels it’s necessary that I….” This took the pressure off me and helped to end what could have been a line of arguments. We hammered out a deal that was fair to both of us. Know in advance the points that you must win and what you can give up.
4. Don’t assume your bargaining power is weak just because your business is smaller or that you need the deal more than the other party. Negotiating can be challenging when faced with the perception of uneven power positions, but weakness is one thing you can’t allow the other side to see. I have rewritten entire contracts sent to me from companies way bigger than mine who claim they can only use their contract with no changes. But I prevailed and they used mine!
   
   Go in knowing and believing in what you have to bring to the business relationship. Even if you believe the attorney-prospect holds the power card, don’t underestimate your unique selling position and how it benefits the attorney-prospect. It’s your job to educate the attorney about how you can make a positive difference in the outcome of his cases.
5. Never say anything off the record – “Just between you and me, I want ‘X’ but I’ll settle for ‘Y.’” In negotiations everything is on the record and if you say that, more than likely you will end up with “Y” or even less than “Y.”
   
   Never let the other party bully you or treat you in a paternalistic manner. I’ve worked with plenty of attorneys, met some very tough negotiators and seen many different negotiation styles at work. Surprisingly, it was a non-attorney who negotiated like a pit bull. Realizing what I was up against, I took a long walk and role-played with Tom. Role-playing helped me to anticipate every possible objection and get myself into a Zen-like state. When it came time to negotiate for real, I was centered and ready for him and we reached a win-win. If I’d gone head-to-head with him, like two pit bulls, instead of handling it as I did, the negotiations would have failed.

Use these 5 strategies the next time you are negotiating with an attorney.

Success Is Inside!

One of the most famous paintings in history, DaVinci’s Last Supper, is about 13 well-known people sitting around a table sharing bread and wine. From the beginning of mankind people have used food as a way of bonding. The tradition of “breaking bread” goes back to before knives were present at the table (probably before manners too). Bread was considered essential to life and it was the ultimate act of sociality to break or share bread with another party – friend, stranger or foe.

Today, all Certified Legal Nurse Consultants expect and enjoy dining with family and friends and probably take the act for granted (unless they’re the one stuck with the dishes). Even breaking bread (although in some hospital cafeterias, it’s so hard you may not be able to break it) with our nursing colleagues is part of our day, even if a hurried one. Certified Legal Nurse Consultants understand that the act of dining with attorney-clients and attorney-prospects is a way to create and strengthen bonds. I routinely dine with the CLNC^® Mentors, vendors and attorney-clients and look forward to it. As Tom said after one dinner with an old attorney-client, “I haven’t laughed so well or eaten so hard in a long time.” (Just like Tom to mix metaphors and still make some sense.) I’ve had some great times with business associates and while there’s no better way to “let down our hair” and informally talk the business of business than dining with an important client (especially with a good bottle of red wine in the mix), it’s important to remember that there are rules of business etiquette that must be followed.

1. Dress the Part

Always dress appropriately for the occasion – business attire for a business lunch, casual attire for a casual lunch such as an outdoor picnic you are invited to. For an event calling for cocktail dress, keep it professional. If an attorney remembers what you wore to a party or a meeting, you probably wore the wrong thing. We once had an employee’s date show up at a company function wearing a Marlon Brando “Streetcar Named Desire” style white T-shirt that was totally inappropriate for the situation. He stuck out, but not in a positive way.

2. Arrive Early

Timing is everything – show up 5-10 minutes early. Speak with the maitre’d, server or person behind the counter and explain that it’s a business meal and the bill should be presented to you. If the server asks for your order first, you can respond by saying, “please take my guest’s order first.” This confirms with your guest that you are responsible for the tab and reminds the server that you should receive the bill. Do not take a seat at the table until the attorney(s) has arrived (of course a female Certified Legal Nurse Consultant in the bar by herself may present its own issues). While you’re waiting, use your notepad to look busy.

3. Act the Part

Attorneys are people, and people are attracted to individuals who are happy, positive and excited. They love doing business with Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who bring these natural traits to the table. Smile and look happy even before the attorney arrives.

4. Focus on What Counts

The meal is all about the attorney, not the menu. Decide on your meal choice quickly or even in advance. Give your attorney-client the space and ample time to choose.

5. Go Along to Get Along

Match the attorney. If the attorney chooses an appetizer, go ahead and choose one too, if they don’t you shouldn’t either. Meals are a bonding experience. If you choose a light salad with no dressing while the attorney is chowing down on a huge bone-in rib eye steak or a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, you’ve lost the opportunity to bond over the experience.

I was eating spaghetti and meatballs with two favorite attorney-clients of mine. They had sauce on their ties and I had sauce on my sleeves. We looked like we’d been eating spaghetti without utensils and this experience together became not only a source of laughter, but also a moment of unity – we were the same after all. When we get together, it still comes up and we all have a good laugh, even after all these years. Don’t be afraid to get down and dirty. Another of my favorite attorneys loves digging into a steaming hot pile of boiled crawfish. There’s no polite way to eat crawfish so if you know in advance what you’ll be eating, you’ll know how to dress (dark clothes that won’t show the stains). One word of caution: crawfish bibs look goofy on everyone. Don’t put yours on until the attorney is wearing his.

As to the meal itself, find out whether lunch or dinner is more convenient. I much prefer someone to take me to dinner where the crunch of the day is not weighing on me. At dinner I can truly relax and put my focus on my dining partner. Another person might prefer lunch so they can get home and tuck the kids into bed. All attorneys eat, but not all appreciate a long business lunch with a salesperson or vendor. Be respectful of their time. Sometimes something as simple as dropping by their office (call in advance) with their favorite deli sandwich and a bag of chips can be a great way to experience a no-pressure lunch and retie the connection.

6. Focus on the Attorney

It’s your job to engage the attorney – not vice versa. Ask about the status of cases you’re consulting on and inquire about new challenging cases that have just come into the attorney’s office. Offer opinions about how you can help.

7. Be Gracious

In the beginning and again at the end of your lunch or dinner, always take the time to personally thank the attorney for meeting with you and for the opportunity to share your CLNC^® services or to discuss a new business matter. You may be paying the bill, but it’s their billable hour they gave up to meet with you. Their time is their most precious asset. Be sure to thank them for sharing it with you.

8. Be Discreet

If the attorney is buying, never order the most expensive meal on the menu (think about the 54-oz lobster above), but at the same time, don’t order the least expensive either. You don’t have to order the mac and cheese off the kids menu. Use your host as a guide by discussing recommendations. Ask her what she likes on the menu and consider ordering from those choices. If it’s good enough for her, it’ll probably be good enough for you (unless it’s a $99 bowl of pasta with truffles).

9. Stay Sober

It’s perfectly okay to have a drink if the attorney does, but never try to keep up with the attorney who has more than one. Many of the attorneys I’ve shared a meal with are twice my size and have a much higher tolerance than I’ll ever aspire to. I’ve learned the art of fitting in by sipping slowly. Don’t have a cocktail before dinner if ordering wine. Eat some bread with olive oil to slow the absorption of the alcohol. There’s nothing wrong starting with a mineral water and lime while the attorney has a martini. Don’t try and keep up – you need to be articulate, not unconscious.

10. Know the Proper Use of Utensils and Plates

The bread plate is on the left and beverages are on the right. An easy way to remember it is “Left is lumpy, right is runny.” Utensils are used from the outside of the plate in on either side. For example, the salad fork is outside the entree fork. Rest your knife and fork on the plate between bites. You’ll eat more slowly and enjoy the meal more. This is not a nursing lunch – it’s a chance to make connections. You can’t do that while speed-stuffing a burrito into your digestive system.

11. Set the Tone of the Conversation

Attorneys love to talk. Allow the conversation to flow from polite introductions to social conversation before addressing business. Once business is concluded, return to a light social tone. Do not make it personal unless the attorney has moved the conversation in that direction. Even then, keep your remarks socially acceptable. Remember to come up for air and let the attorney talk. Think of it as a good time to properly masticate your food (while keeping your mouth shut). Try and eat while paying attention when the attorney is talking. This will add some give and take to the conversation.

12. Let Humor Ease the Tension

If there’s an awkward moment at a formal occasion, e.g., you forgot which fork to use, add humor to the situation to ease the tension. Everyone will laugh and feel more comfortable. Likewise, if the attorney spills something on his tie, try not to laugh. If you spill something on yourself you’re fair game – to you. If you swallow the wrong way you can always say something like “I’d forgotten how dangerous sea urchin is without wasabi.”

13. Accept Social Courtesies

Be aware of gender differences when it comes to common social courtesies. Allow a male attorney to be a gentleman even if you are usually very independent. This goes a long way to fostering professional relationships. I am independent and my husband Tom comes from the East coast, so if he forgets to open the door for me, I may get it for him (then shut it before he slips through). In Texas, many male attorneys still believe it is proper to open the door for a woman so I let them. This change in tradition is actually nice. Woman-to-woman or man-to-man, it’s whoever gets there first.

14. Don’t Wear Out Your Welcome

You’ll want to be aware of time constraints and be respectful of the attorney’s workday. Don’t drag out the meal. Don’t be the only one to order an appetizer or the only one to order dessert or coffee. Sometimes they need to get back to work and may be too polite to say so. Giving the appearance that you too need to get back to work maintains the image that you are a busy Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. If you really need dessert you can always grab a pastry and coffee at Starbucks^® later.

15. Say Thank You

Send a handwritten thank-you note within 24 hours of your meal. Few people take the time to do this today, so you are setting yourself apart and further cementing your relationship. If you bought, thank them for their time. If they picked up the check, thank them not only for the meal but for introducing you to a great new restaurant and tell them that the next time will be your treat.

Once you master these strategies, business meal etiquette will be as natural to you as resuscitating a patient and a lot more tasty. Relax and enjoy.

Success Is Inside!

The other day I was reading an article that asked whether we spent too much time in our heads. The author took the position that by over-rationalizing we actually talk ourselves out of things we really want and into things that we don’t. This reminded me of a story told by one of the Certified Legal Nurse Consultants about how much time and effort he spent setting up his CLNC^® business, creating the perfect logo, the perfect home office and the perfect conditions for getting started. He was convinced that until he was perfectly ready he wouldn’t have a perfect chance, so he found himself accomplishing nothing more than moving the tchlotskis around on his desk to the perfect position. He knew in his heart he was ready but that wasn’t enough – because his head wasn’t ready.

I’ve always felt I have a good gut. I don’t mean the product of 100,000 crunches, I mean intuition – the ability to feel what is right. Almost every time I’ve done the opposite of what my gut’s told me to do, I’ve regretted it later. This includes hiring and firing employees, dealing with attorneys, subcontractors and vendors. I’ve often known what was right, but when I sat down and overanalyzed it, I ended up making the wrong rational decision for all the wrong reasons. If I’d stayed with my gut and acted on that decision, I’d have spared myself hours of pain.

Sometimes we rationalize out of fear of change, sometimes out of need but more often because we don’t trust ourselves to make the right call at the right time. Without sounding too airy-fairy, our brains and ego are very adept at talking us out of the things we want and into settling for things that seem more rational. We can justify anything given enough time to think about it – staying in a job we hate, sticking with a toxic relationship, not speaking up because we don’t want to hurt the feelings of a friend or family member or not getting out and marketing our legal nurse consulting business to attorney-prospects.

Our intuition, our gut, is smarter than we think and much smarter than we allow it to be. Think about how often you’ve known the right decision, but made an alternate decision and ended up regretting it.

My friend knew he was ready but he did everything he could to postpone that decision. When he finally hit the market he had attorney-clients immediately and his fears evaporated. He later laughed with me about it and said that even when the first attorney called him back, he was mentally rehearsing excuses for not taking his first case.

Are you living in your head? Are you spending too much time overthinking a situation in your legal nurse consulting business instead of simply acting on what your gut is telling you? It’s time to look back at your past decisions – those made by your gut versus those made by your “rational mind” and see which has the better track record. Next time I start to overthink something, I’m just going to trust my gut and step out for what I already know.

I hope you’ll step out with me.

Success Is Inside!

Tom, my twin brother Vince and I were walking through the mall the other day with no particular destination on our minds. It was just one of those evenings when you just troll the mall because it’s there. Since we didn’t have a goal or focus I found myself taking in the shops from a different perspective. Normally, I’m what Tom refers to as a F&F shopper – fire and forget. I’m a laser-like focused shopper, entering the mall at a fast pace, making my purchases and coming back out just as fast, paying no attention to the in-between.

To give you a little dish, Tom and Vince can spend more time in a store than I do and still come out empty-handed. I’m always perplexed that they can spend so much time in a store (even a sporting goods store) without buying anything. I need to keep those two apart or leave them at home.

Being with Tom and Vince that evening at the mall (and nope, they didn’t buy a thing) gave me time to think about our legal nurse consulting businesses.

I walked past windows and display after display of the same lines of clothing. Mind-numbing displays of solids, stripes, plaids and every color under the sun – virtually the same from store to store. I realized that no matter where you are in the developed world, the shopping is disturbingly similar. Global brands have limited our choices from what was once a world of many selections to a world of few. Walk through Macy’s, Sak’s, Neiman’s, Nordy’s, Target or even my favorite, Walmart and they are scarily the same.

So I started to wonder what really makes one store more successful than another since it’s not really the product. Tom and Vince were still debating the merits of one brand of athletic supporter over another, so I chose a couple of stores at random and walked in. I learned more than a few things from this, both about myself and what I think Certified Legal Nurse Consultants can apply to their legal nurse consulting businesses. First of all, I noticed the few stores that had inventive window displays designed to catch my eye, did just that. Next, the stores that presented themselves in the best possible light seemed to be the most inviting.

But, the busy stores were the ones that raised my curiosity the most. If a lot of people were looking at their products, then surely I must look too. An empty store, no matter how clean and attractively laid out, tells me it’s empty for a reason. Something is clearly lacking – it might be value, quality, price or service but I’ll never know because I didn’t go in (sorry Valentino). Of the stores I did go in, the one thing that made the difference between the ones that were successful or not, was the service.

I’m not a fan of the hide and seek game that some salespeople play. If I have to hunt all over for a salesperson just to ask if they have a particular blouse in a size 2 (just kidding), I’m going to lose interest fast. Even more disturbing to me is when I do find a salesperson (or two) and they’re either talking on their cell phones or chatting it up with each other and can’t be interrupted to service a customer. That’s a quick way to lose a sale, sister.

Okay, so let’s look at the lessons for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. First of all, present yourself in the best possible manner. Dress neatly and professionally. No one likes sloppy looking salespeople. If you can’t be bothered to dress appropriately for work, how do you think attorneys can trust you to help them? Attorneys and other professionals are drawn to successful-looking people. Although some of the rules from the old “Dress for Success” book don’t apply, the basic one does – dress like you’re part of your market.

Second, how are you displaying your products? Is your line sloppily presented or do your marketing materials practically snap with crispness? Start with your cover letter, is it on good quality bond paper? Do you use a letterhead that matches your other materials? Is your message congruent throughout? I see business cards that look like they’ve been hand-printed and sales brochures that look like they’ve been pasted together from ransom notes. You have seconds to get your attorney-prospect’s attention and catch their eye. Think of the way you sort your own mail and make sure your materials represent the professional you are. Too cute, too poorly done and too cheaply done send the same message. One your attorney-prospect won’t be receptive to.

Third, are you on your feet marketing or are you passively waiting for your market to find you? In the stores that I enjoyed shopping the most, the sales clerks didn’t wait for me to walk up to them, they were all over me from the minute I walked in. Not in a clinging manner, but in a professional “how may I help you find something” manner. There’s a certain salesperson in the shoe department of one of my favorite stores who always makes a point of acknowledging me no matter how busy he is. He checks to see if I need something in particular and lets me in on any upcoming sales – all while juggling other customers and an armful of shoe boxes.

He makes me think of one of the CLNC^® Mentors who exhibits at legal conferences. She positions herself in front of her booth and walks up to the attorneys as they come by, offering descriptions of her CLNC^® services. She’s got a super high success rate. I can contrast her to another legal nurse consultant (not a CLNC^® consultant) who she often sees at many of the same conferences. That woman sits inside her booth (a total no-no) and waits for attorneys to approach her. She has commented that she’s surprised she doesn’t do as well as the CLNC^® Mentor at attracting new business.

The salespeople who earn my business are often the ones that offer the business – not the ones that earn their commission simply by ringing me up. If I know something is likely to be available in that product line at another store with better service, guess where I’ll go to buy it. Even if I end up having to order the item, I’d rather do it where I experience good service and have the commission go to someone who’s earned it, than someone who hasn’t. Attorneys are the same way. They’re crazy busy and don’t have time to go looking for you. You need to get out there and, as one Certified Legal Nurse Consultant once said, if they don’t know why they need my CLNC^® services, I just explain it to them until they do!

Fourth, the best salespeople are the ones who not only help you find the perfect item, but also help you accessorize it or supplement it. You can always find the perfect jacket, but blouses, earrings or a purse that compliment it and extend its range are great. Make yourself indispensible. You’re not there to sell the attorney-client just one service. Certified Legal Nurse Consultants know how to deliver over thirty different CLNC^® services to attorneys. Don’t be the store with just one pair of shoes on the shelf. If they’re not the shoes the attorney-client is looking for (or they don’t fit) they’ll go elsewhere.

Remember, ultimately you may be offering the same services as the next legal nurse consultant so you need to distinguish yourself in the eyes of your market and make sure that you offer them what they want and what they need. The best performing Certified Legal Nurse Consultants deliver quality service when they say they will.

Next time you’re in the mall, zero in on what attracts you to a particular store or salesperson. Ask yourself what makes you loyal to a particular line of products or store. Then apply these insights to your own legal nurse consulting business. I know I bring home something different every time I go to the mall and I don’t mean purchases – I’m talking about new ideas I discover for improving my own business.

Success Is Inside!